Good morning everyone!

It's been 4 months since I've started working on my PhD. Every month I'd tell myself that I will contact my supervisor after I make more progress. We did not agree beforehand on how often I am expected to update him on my progress. However, I feel that 4 months is a bit too long. Consumed by my perfectionism and self-doubt, I have prepared 30 pages so far after I have work for 6-9 hours a day for 4 months. The 30 pages are a translation of an old and complicated book. So, it takes x10 more time than a normal translation would. During that time, I have also read some books and took some notes for the study part of the research. My supervisor is a nice and understanding person, but I am now a bit ashamed to contact him. I don't know whether I should do it now or wait until the end of the month when I have, hopefully, progressed further in my research now that I know how to work on it properly. I have written this e-mail and kept it short hoping that I'd explain it all in person if I am asked to justify my progress. The professor, knowing the nature of the research and how difficult it is, might not comment on it. This is the email I wrote: (please let me know if you find it polite enough or if there's anything to be improved regarding either the language or the content)


Good evening,

Dr. (x),

I hope this email finds you well.

I am emailing you today hoping that you would kindly inform me about when it would be seemly to come to your office to update you on my progress.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
(x)